Goblin Bugbear

The sedan’s door shut as Voidborn entered, sitting right beside Derrick at the front. Rei was seated right behind Voidborn, tinkering with a glowing cube of sorts, while Jimin sat beside her, half her body sticking out of the window.

“Byeeee~” Jimin waved back at Mrs Yoo before sliding back into her seat. She leaned forward between the two men at the front, smiling like she was going for a picnic rather than a month-long journey.

She looked at Derrick, who turned some knobs and pushed some buttons on the steering wheel. The sedan cranked to life. Voidborn turned and watched Derrick’s fingers dance across the steering wheel, and with a final exaggerated button push, the sedan began moving.

“You’re not driving,” Voidborn remarked, looking at Derrick, whose hands had left the steering wheel, leaning back to relax.

“This vehicle has been modified,” he explained. “Only the coordinates of the destination are needed.”

“Yeah yeah!” Rei added. “This is another thing that was co-developed between the Machinist's Union and Spellbound. Although, they are not publicly available and are only for people with authority within the five Reborn factions.”

“How safe is it?”

“Oh, I can answer that!” Jimin exclaimed, raising her hand. Rei raised her eyebrows and looked at her with doubt.

“Come on… I’ve ridden this before, trust me!” Jimin huffed and crossed her arms, before continuing. “It’s extremely safe. Civilians or other vehicles won’t get hit since the vehicle is imbued with detection spells. Someone also explained that the detection spells link with the vehicle’s data centre which the configuration or something inside makes the decision on where to turn and what speed to drive at!”

Rei shook her head and sighed. “That’s fairly inaccurate. You missed the point about the Machine-Spell Autonomous Decision Axiom Module, or MS. ADAM for short. It is the marvel of the collaboration between two of the greatest Scholar and Machinist Rulerborns. As stated in the spec-book, MS. ADAM fuses—”

“That’s not what I’m asking for,” Voidborn interrupted. “I know that civilians and vehicles won’t get hit, since they are already approved for use. What I want to know is, are we safe from external attacks?”

“That’s what I’ll be touching on later, but since you asked, I’ll explain it first,” Rei said.

“Can you explain it in simpler terms instead?” Jimin groaned, poking Derrick’s arm from behind. “Rei always goes into the details. I just want to know what it does and that’s it!”

“Isn’t that what I’m saying?” Rei countered.

“Yes, but it’s too much unnecessary information for someone as dumb as me.”

“I can’t argue if you pull out the ‘I’m Dumb’ card…”

“Now, now. Settle down,” Derrick chuckled, turning towards Voidborn, who was still patiently waiting. “To answer your question, yes, we are safe. Mostly. The sedan is enhanced with both protective and offensive capabilities. It has been fitted with barrier constructs developed by Claustrum, as well as guns and magic modules developed by the Mechanist’s Union and Spellbound respectively. To sum it up, this is a mobile armed fortress.”

“Although, it is not a hundred percent safe. Any attack that’s strong enough to destroy the barrier will, well, destroy the barrier. The chances of that are rare though, since it has been tested to withstand any attack up to Rebirth 3 Reborns.”

“So, you’re saying Reborns stronger than Rebirth 4 will destroy this vehicle?”

“Yes, but there’s almost no chance of it happening. The number of Reborns Rebirth 4 and above are so abysmally low.”

“Why are you jinxing it?” Jimin frowned, squeezing Derrick’s cheeks.

Voidborn nodded and turned to look outside as the sedan moved, leaving the other three to their playful banter. Through the window, he watched the city pass by. Rows of brick townhouses stood shoulder to shoulder, iron balconies hanging over cobbled streets. Unlit arcane lamps lined the road as mechanical carts rattled pass horse-drawn carriages, and guards armed with rifles slung beside enchanted blades patrolled the sidewalks.

Further ahead, steam hissed from vents along the roadside as tram rails curved away and towards the industrial district. Posters fluttered on notice boards and lamp posts, some about an influx of rats in the underground sewers, others warning of goblin sightings beyond the outskirts.

The buildings rose taller, yet dirtier. The streets swelled with people. Brick disintegrated into wood; affluence thinned into poverty. The poor multiplied.

It was the same wherever Voidborn went. Whether it was right here in Knowledge Sanctum Zylos, the Empire Kandar, the City of Life Vita or the Battle Haven Fortis, the powerful ruled the weak, the rich segregated from the poor.

There was always a clear division in social construct.

In the alleyways, rats scattered at the sound of the passing engine, dragging stolen crusts of rye bread into the shadows.

A brief flicker of dull yellow stirred in Voidborn’s vision as several of them froze and turned toward the road.

He narrowed his eyes for a moment, then looked away.

Animals were always wary of loud machines.

The sedan rolled past Zylos’s toll gates and out into the grassy outskirts. Behind them, the alleyways returned to stillness.

The entire afternoon had passed uneventfully. By dusk, the sky was a wash of purple and orange as the sedan rolled into a small town, already one-tenth into their journey.

Voidborn watched the streets through the window.

The streets were bustling as workers spilled out from shops and workshops, some heading home, most grabbing dinner outside. The sedan came to a stop right in the city centre, and the group got out.

Doors to the sedan closed with muted thuds. Jimin raised her arms and let out an unholy groan. Her shoulders hitched toward her ears, her back arched at an awkward angle, and her ribcage flared as she tried to undo hours of cramped stiffness.

“Gosh, my butt hurts from all the sitting. They're gonna be squished flat.”

“The only saving grace you have is your looks,” Rei joked. “With a yawn that big, you could stuff a whole loaf of bread in.”

“Why bread? Why not meat? Isn't meat more worthy of my golden taste buds?” Jimin said, before her stomach grumbled. “I need food. What are we getting?”

“Noodles.”

Voidborn pointed to the store right in front of them. The store was packed to the brim, but a group of four stood to leave as they entered. They slid into the vacant table as a casually dressed waiter cleared the dirty bowls and handed them the menus.

“Oh… these look good. What should I get?” Jimin mumbled to herself, before her head snapped up. “Have you guys chosen?”

“I’m done.”
“This.”
“Yes.”

Three voices sounded in unison.

“What? We just sat down.”

Rei was pointing at the picture of a bowl of soup noodles with two fried battered prawns on the side. Derrick selected the same. As for Voidborn, he chose the Ultra Deluxe Protein Special — noodles tossed with chilli oil and peanut sauce, topped with two chargrilled chicken legs, sauteed soy pork slices, a breaded fish cutlet, five tempura prawns, and a soft-boiled egg.

“Holy hell. That looks like a meat platter with noodles as toppings than the other way round!” Rei laughed. “I guess you do need protein. You're a Savage after all.”

“Lady Yoo, your choice?”

“What's the rush? We have the entire night.”

“I’m hungry.”

“Yeah, unnie, quickly pick! I wanna eat already.”

“Fine. I’ll pick the same as Voidborn then.”

“You sure you can finish it?” Derrick grinned. “Don't beg us to help when you can't finish later.”

“Hey! Why are all of you ganging up against me? I'm ordering this to share, you ungrateful bozo. So much for being thoughtful.”

“What do you mean share? I’m the one paying anyway.”

“Bleh~”

Ignoring them, Voidborn raised his hand and called for the waiter. He came promptly, taking the group's order as Voidborn just silently pointed at the pictures on the menu. He took out a golden shell and gave it to the waiter, paying for the group.

“Hey, I’m supposed to be paying for it, why did you do that?” Derrick exclaimed.

Three pairs of eyes turned to Voidborn.

“I’m hungry. You guys talk too much.”

“You talk too little!” Jimin exclaimed, reaching forward to pinch his cheeks.

“You’re gonna squeeze all his sebum out if you continue doing that, unnie,” Rei said, opening a book to read while she waited. “Are you going to actually going to read the one you borrowed from me? Or is it going to be just decoration?”

“Later… I don’t want to bore myself at the start of the journey.”

“So you are delaying the boring. You do realise that information needs time to settle?”

“I—”

“You know she’s right, Jimin. Knowledge doesn’t just get magically stored in your brain. You do need to let the information sink in.”

“Yes, yes. But later, okay? Maybe tomorrow or something. It’s already so late. I just wanna eat right now,” Jimin nodded sparingly, trying to convince the ‘naggers’ to stop. “Plus, I’m not a technical person anyway. I do things based on vibes~ What’s that term again?”

“Animal.” Voidborn said.

“Pfft—” Rei snorted.

“Hey! Rude.”

“He’s not wrong though. Sometimes you really act like an animal, but not exactly like an animal? Vibes? Instinct? Let’s just call you a whole different animal.”

“Whatever. You’re lucky my heart is big. And you know what they say about those with big hearts? They have big che—”

“Two Tempura Noodles and two Ultra Deluxe Protein Special?”

The waiter arrived, setting the dishes down.

“Err… the meat mountain is mine,” Jimin smiled awkwardly.

“Oh. I’m sorry. Usually men order this,” the waiter panicked, quickly swapping the position of the dishes. “I’ve never seen a woman ordering it, much less one as beautiful as you.”

“I’m appalled at that generalisation, but since you called me beautiful and I have a big heart—”

“Big chest.” Rei corrected.

Jimin glared at her and continued, “I shall forgive and forget.”

The waiter heaved a sigh of relief and fled.

“Can I eat now?” Voidborn asked, fork and spoon ready.

“You… don’t need my permission. But go ahead.” Jimin sighed. “You guys are all bullying me.”

“And you don’t hate it.”

“No comment.”

Jimin rolled her eyes and picked up her own utensils, digging into the food. She pushed the meat platter to the centre.

“Sharing.”

Voidborn looked at the food. The fried fish and tempura were freshly made, and the chargrilled chicken carried the beautiful black marks from the cast iron grill. A bite into the juicy tender meat brought forth a burst of flavourful juices.

“Mhmmm~ their noodles are really good!” Jimin said, slurping on the spicy and nutty dish after carefully mixing it. “Makes me want some alcohol.”

“You do know we can’t afford to drink, right? We have to be on the move, and stay alert for any—”

A shrill scream tore through the street.

Utensils froze mid-air. For half a second, the entire noodle shop went silent. Every head turned, eyes fixed on the windows showing the outside.

Then came more shouts.

People outside ran from right to left, each one filled with an expression of fear and despair. Wood splintered. Glass shattered. Tremors shook the entire store.

Voidborn was already on his feet, sprinting out of the store with his invisible sword already unsheathed.

Chairs toppled as panic erupted inside every customer, unsure whether to exit and run back home, or stay within the store. Derrick and Rei followed and ran after him. Jimin was the last, stuffing some noodles into her mouth before standing.

“I am from the Machinist Union!” Jimin shouted, taking out an emblem from inside her pocket, flashing it for all to see. “Stay inside! Do not come out!”

With that, she turned, stuffing a tempura into her mouth before running outside.

Outside—

A body flew across the street, hitting a market stall. The body folded around it unnaturally as the wood splintered, obliterating the entire stall. Vegetables, baskets, and wood were strewn across the street. People were screaming everywhere, some petrified on the floor in fear, others scrambling to save their lives. A woman crawled on the floor, clutching her leg, screaming. A man, or whatever that's left of him lay nearby. His head was bashed into his chest cavity, legs compressed and bent in irregular angles. His entire body was distorted as blood pooled in a deep red puddle around him.

And in the middle of it—

A goblin.

No.

It was too large to be called a goblin.

Nearly thrice the height of a man. It was hunched with mottled green and grey skin, muscles bloated beneath torn leather straps. Its jaw hung open as it roared, strings of saliva whipping as the shockwaves of its outcry shook the buildings nearby. A huge spiked wooden club was gripped in one hand, and a man was gripped by his head in its other, kicking and screaming helplessly as his limbs flailed about.

A goblin bugbear.

“Shit, why the fuck is a bugbear here in a town,” Derrick cursed, scattering five metal orbs. “They never venture past their territory!” The orbs expanded with a whirr mid-drop, floating towards the bugbear. A red circle flared from each orb as they charged.

Pop.

Right as the red beams left each orb, the bugbear clenched its fist tight, squishing the man’s head. His body fell limp without resistance, screams cutting short as blood seeped out of the gaps between the bugbear’s fingers.

The bugbear swung the corpse around like a ragdoll, deflecting the incoming red beams. The beams tore into the body, piercing through flesh and bones, punching holes through the body before grazing the bugbear’s skin.

Barely a burn.

“Fuck!” Derrick cursed.

Rei and Jimin stopped beside him, eyebrows furrowing. Voidborn surged forward without a word, running past the civilians and charging right into the fray. He circled around the bugbear’s legs, stabbing into its calf as he tried to draw the monster’s attention.

Shallow.

The bugbear’s skin was too thick, the dense muscles preventing the blade from piercing deeper. It roared in annoyance and focused its attention to Voidborn, swinging its club wildly. The spiked weapon crashed into a lamppost, dislodging it, and it was sent flying into the distance. The club was raised and swung down.

Voidborn rolled to the side. He looked at the floor and frowned.

Overwhelming force.

The ground was bashed inwards, leaving a crater where he just stood. One hit and he would be dead.

Rei summoned her tome, gathering energy into orbs above her as she shot fireballs outwards. Aiming for the monster’s vitals, the fireballs streaked through the night sky. However, the bugbear continued to swing its upper torso wildly, and the fireballs struck nothing life-threatening, leaving nothing but light scorch marks.

“Shit, its skin is too thick!” Derrick growled, redirecting his orbs. Beams continued to to strike with no effect.

Jimin didn’t join the fight. She ran towards the chaos, straight to the woman who was still crawling away. The woman had barely made any distance due to her injured leg. Jimin hoisted her up, dragging her into an alley. Then she ran back.

Again.

And again.

“You need to hurry up!” Rei shouted. “We can't go all out like this!”

The bugbear growled in frustration.

There was nothing it could do. Two pests stung from afar. But the annoying one was the one between its legs. No matter how fast or strong it swung, the bug never got hit.

Voidborn’s eyes narrowed. His pupils darted around, watching the bugbear with focus. Red flooded within the bugbear’s body; yellow pulsed in its chest. Each time the bugbear moved, thin yellow pulses streaked from its chest into its limbs.

A yellow path shot to its right arm — club strike from the left.
Yellow to its left leg — kick from the right.
No yellow in an incoming punch — a feint.

Voidborn dodged and rolled, making as many minimal movements as possible. He barely broke a sweat, dancing around the bugbear’s legs, decorating it with bloody scratches.

The bugbear grew more irritated. Its preys were slowly diminishing as Jimin moved back and forth, removing civilians and helping them to safety.

One man remained.

He hid behind a wrecked drink stall, shivering. Jimin ran over to him, trying to pull him out of the way, but the man was paralysed in fear, limbs refusing to move. She tried to pull him up, but the man was too fat, and she was unable to even push him past an inch.

Voidborn continued raining harmless attacks upon the bugbear. His eyes moved to the right, watching the bugbear’s raised arm. A strong yellow surged into it.

He prepared to dodge.

Flexing its palm into something akin to a fork, the bugbear twisted its palm backwards and swung it down from behind in an arc. Voidborn backflipped out of the way as the ground shattered, the monster’s entire palm clawed into the concrete.

Voidborn crouched, ready to lunge forward—

The bugbear inhaled deeply and roared, sending an animalistic sound that shook the air. Its thick hand dug deep, cracking the ground like brittle ice. Muscles bulged under its coarse fur as the creature heaved upwards with raw, monstrous strength.

“Run!” Derrick shouted.

With a deafening crack, a large chunk of concrete tore free. Dust and debris exploded outward as the bugbear spun, using the momentum of its massive body to hurl the jagged slab straight at Jimin.

Voidborn was already moving.

The spinning slab tore through the air towards her.